In the realm of small enterprises where resources are limited, a systematic approach to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is necessary to ensure online visibility is maximized and sustainable growth is maintained. Follow this structured, step-by-step guide on how to efficiently manage SEO within your small business:
SEO In Preparation:
To effectively leverage the vast amount of data provided by the likes of Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools, it will be necessary to verify ownership of the content published under your registered domain name.
Create an account with one of the major SEO service providers. If you have a Gmail or Google account (e.g. can you “log in” to YouTube?), you can use it to verify your identity with Google Analytics, and provide authorization for Google to collect and process the data returned from the tracking code you’ll place on your website. Likewise, if you have an @hotmail.com or @outlook.com email account for example, of if you can “sign in” to Microsoft’s website, Office.com then you have a Microsoft account to connect to Microsfot Bing Webmaster tools. More details Bing Webmaster and Google Analytics available as follows:
Create a new Google Account specifically for use with your business enterprise SEO campaigns (recommended).
Use an existing Google Account if you wish (e.g. YouTube, Gmail, Google Drive, Google Workspace, etc.).
Create a Microsoft Account (e.g. Outlook.com or Office.com), you can verify your site ownership through Bing Webmaster Tools and Microsoft Clarity. Likewise with Google, use an existing Hotmail/ Outlook account if you wish.
Try a new search engine (not Google, not Bing), and search for alternatives to Microsoft and Google SEO tracking. Pick an SEO data service provider, and commit to it. You can change later, but we’ll be commiting for now for the purpose of this tutorial.
Establish your baseline metrics and track your progress with the tracking code (it will be a chunk of HTML or JavaScript that your website personnel must place into your existing website source code). Once the tracking code is on your website, your traffic data will becin to be recorded, but all of that data is meaningless until your SEO expert understands how to use it in an impactful way to drive more visitors to your website.
Tracking Starts Now
Please understand that research and activity in Search Engine Optimization is longetundinal. It will take time to recognize any results of the efforts of your SEO team, which must begin now. The sooner the tracking code is in place, the sooner you can start to leverage the data collected by Google Analytics/ Search Console, or Bing Webmaster/ Clarity tools (do NOT attempt to use more than one SEO data provider at this time). You can not move forward with this project until your tracking code is in place.
Start your SEO Piggy Bank
The singular most important element in your SEO practice is the data collected from your tracking code. Recognize that obtaining traffic metrics from SEO data collection services (e.g. Google Search Console, Microsoft Clarity, SEMRush, Moz, etc), the SEO tools available through those services or third-party traffic data analysis products and services (e.g. the AIOSEO plugin for WordPress), nothing is going to happen without your intervention.
Remember: SEO means Search Engine Optimization. The Optimization part of the definition is where your SEO expert comes in! She’ll use the data returned from the tracking code to study regularly how to optimize your results, and later how her changes your website have affected your Search Engine visibility.
Counting Dollars in Your SEO Swear Jar
In order to analyze the SEO data, you’ll need to place some code on your website, so data collection agencies like Google have a means of identifying your unique website, its content, and its visitor traffic patterns. Make sure the necessary SEO tracking-code is in place on your website before you begin training! Set a marker to indicate when the SEO tracking code was placed on your site. Put your dollars in the swear jar! C’mon. Caugh ’em up. Let’s go.
What are you Saving For?
Use your tracking-code installation date as the definitive reference point throughout training†. In four weeks– after training is complete– you’ll convene with your team to reflect upon the results of your first SEO campaign.
A lot of what SEO boils down to is reading charts and graphs, and understanding what the changing numbers actually mean to your online presence. It’s up to you to decide how you want to track your progress in SEO mastery but consider the placement of tracking code on your website as likely to be your best point of reference. Mark it on the company calendar as “Started SEO Today”.
SEO in Training:
Ensure that at least one team member possesses a comprehensive understanding and mastery of SEO. Ideally, designate one individual to oversee SEO responsibilities.
Designate an SEO Expert: If your team lacks SEO experts or an individual with significant experience in SEO, designate your most tech savvy individual to handle SEO responsibilities, and move forward as your SEO Expert in-training.
Provide sufficient time for training under a well-structured curriculum. Exercise the use of essential SEO tools and ensure SEO analytic concepts are assimilated. Make Google Search Console your first stop for an initial exposure to the ways and means of SEO. Your SEO Expert in-training can establish a solid understanding of the many nuances of Search Engine Optimization, simply by studying the vast, related documentation available from Google Search Console and Google Analytics. You’ll have to link your Google Account with Google Analytics to get started.
Structured Curriculum:
Implement a strict curriculum covering essential SEO tools and concepts such as:
Start a one-week campaign as practiced in training. (e.g. study an AHREFS, SEMRush, or other report using one of their one-week campaign recommendations)
Look ahead to Week Two in preparation for reflection
Week Two
What did you learn from week one?
What isn’t working?
What is working?
Set a plan for Week Three
Weeks Three + Four
Do a “week one / week two” routine (2 weeks)
Repeat Week One using a different analytics agency
If you aren’t confident about what SEO data analysis service you find most accomodating to your specific interests, then continue the process of repeating Week One and Two until you settle on a pattern that’s producing favorable results.
The SEO-in-Practice time is when a decision should be made: which SEO data service are you going to commit to using? Your team (or resident SEO Expert) is about to be tasked with developing a complete mastery of all the selected service has to offer, including accessing API’s, and a thorough knowledge of what type of metrics are available through that one service.
How will you and your team utilize the data from your chosen SEO data provider to the advantage of your team, and your business?
After Training
Consider this Week Five. It’s time to take a break from the deep analysis and let things run their course for a while. Your SEO Expert has other things he or she needs to focus on now, and taking a break from in-depth analysis provides time for necessary reflection.
Before the break begins, finalize the training by conducting a comprehensive analysis of the past three weeks’ SEO scores in a team meeting, so everyone can provide feedback regarding the effectiveness of your new SEO strategy. Acknowledge and reward team members for their contributions. Emphasize the importance of taking a break from SEO to focus on core business operations while remaining vigilant about the evolving landscape of SEO.
Reflect on historical web development practices and standards, drawing inspiration from your favorite successful sites. Emphasize the importance being observant about strategic content placement, keywords, optimizing media and meta data, and other SEO content strategies.
Consider the direct marketing strategies you’ve tried (outside of anything to do with SEO) and reflect upon the contacts you’ve made through networking, no matter who they are. Reach out to like-minded business owners and website publishers with an offer to publish a link to their site, if they’ll do the same for you (aka. “Backlinks”, or direct links from one site to another, have a weighted impact on your so-called SEO score).
Relax but Remain On-Guard
Continue to Integrate newly optimized SEO strategies into any new content.
Trust your resident SEO expert and rely on data analysts to monitor site performance.
Avoid obsessively checking SEO scores and focus on core business activities.
Implement direct marketing strategies, including outreach for reciprocal backlinks.
Remind the team that you will conclude the break with a renewed commitment and better insight when you to revisit SEO in six months. Conclude the six-month break by conducting a 15 minute meeting to discuss anything remarkable that was observed during the break.
Let it all go but remember you will revisit SEO again in six months!
SEO Revisited – Post-Break
Resume the two-week routine (week one, then week two again) for a smooth transition back into SEO.
Transform Week Three into an aggressive six-month SEO campaign, leveraging insights gained during the break.
Continuously refine SEO-friendly content creation based on observations and experiences.
Remember, consistency is key, and revisiting SEO periodically ensures your strategies align with evolving industry standards.
†Atlassian (providers of Jira, Trello, and Confluence) offer FREE, integrated project management solutions. It’s not required, but highly recommended that you take the time to create an Atlassian account and provide your SEO team with read/ write access to it. Use that account, supplemental to your Google Analytics/ Clarity accounts to track the progress of the strategies you’ve developed for your own unique SEO. Atlassian tutorials to come.
Leave a Reply